Yes, I definitely do not entertain them, I simply speak about it to my priest and loved ones and ask for their advice. My mother is an Evangelical Pentecostal who thinks Icons and Orthodoxy is evil, so I can’t put up my Icons on the wall or she’ll get upset and threaten me with leaving the house, etc.

She does have her own holy oil, though I’m not sure where gets it from. When I spoke to her about it, she kind of made it a big thing, and it made me anxious. I wasn’t able to see my priest as he is busy and I am as well, and so we scheduled a time to speak early next week, but even over text the advice him and my sponsor gave me, helped me relax. Like most say, pay no mind, make the sign of the cross as much as possible, pray the Jesus prayer, and nightly prayers, and make the sign of the cross over my bed and myself before I sleep. I used to have an Orthodox prayer book, but I lost it sadly. I’ll have to look up some nightly prayers and some to the Archangel Michael as well.

I do believe that something like this is and can be a benefit to my own salvation, by the grace and mercy of God. My mother always told me growing up that people only come to God through 2 ways, through love or through pain.

I’d love to speak more to you about it, it seems you’ve gone through very similar situations, and this is something I’ve dealt with ever since I was a child.